Ohio And West Virginia Governors Easing COVID-19 Restrictions, Keeping Mask Mandates In Place
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
COLUMBUS (KDKA) - In the past week, several states have made the decision to drop mask mandates and ease COVID-19 mitigation restrictions.
While West Virginia Governor Jim Justice eased several restrictions on Friday, he still says he will keep the mask mandate in place while lifting restrictions on bars, restaurants, and other businesses.
RELATED: COVID-19 In West Virginia: Gov. Justice To Lift Indoor Gathering Limits At Bars, Most Businesses
"In this situation, we need to be a little more cautious," Gov. Justice said in an appearance on CBS's Face The Nation. "Nobody likes a mask, but for crying out loud, if we could be a little more prudent for 30 more days, or 45 more days, or whatever it took, for us to get on rock-solid ground, that's the approach West Virginia is going to take."
Meanwhile, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine set a goal of 50 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people for two weeks for him to decide to lift restrictions in the Buckeye state.
However, similar to Justice, won't lift the mask mandate the way some states have.
"In Ohio, we can't give up the defense," DeWine said on ABC's This Week. "We have found that these masks work exceedingly well, school's are a prime example."
Both Justice and DeWine also criticized states that are lifting restrictions as vaccines begin to roll out.
